


Young Volcanoes

by CosmicPeppermintLatte



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe, Drabble Collection, Erejean Week, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-01
Updated: 2015-04-07
Packaged: 2018-03-20 17:29:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,455
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3658962
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CosmicPeppermintLatte/pseuds/CosmicPeppermintLatte
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Collection of erejean week drabbles for 2015</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Road Trip

“Jean we’ve been driving down this road for HOURS! We’re fucking lost!” Eren huffed loudly sinking down in the passenger’s seat of Jean’s semi beat up Luxury Toyota Camry.

“There is literally zero phone reception, we don’t have a road map. What do you want from me? Want me to turn the fuck around? Because yeah, I could do that and we could drive for ANOTHER two and a half hours BACK to the middle of nowhere town!”

The two of them drove in silence for the next several minutes. It had been Eren’s idea to make the drive up from Portland Oregon down to San Francisco to see their best friend Marco graduate from college in person. It had been going great until the sun started to set and amongst the beautiful lush forests of southern Oregon, and they managed to get themselves very, horribly lost.

Eren sighed. “Do we at least have anything left to eat?”

“Psh, no. Your fat ass ate the last bag of chips like three hours ago.”

“Fuck you! I am a grown ass man I need to eat! Find a rest stop I need to piss anyway…”

Jean’s hands tightened on the steering wheel while he squinted at a sign until his headlights hit it. Hell his eyes were tired, he needed a break from driving. “Fifteen miles dude.”

“Oh my god noooooooo. I need to pee like, right now.”

Jean raked his right hand through his hair and rubbed at his eyes. “If I pull over for you to piss on one of these damn trees, think you can drive for a while? I need a fucking break my eyes are killing me.”

“Yeah fine. It’d be nice to focus on something other than my ass being asleep.”

They both let out a tired laugh before Eren let out a shriek, his eyes widening and his hands flying to the sides of his seat. “FUCKING LOOK OUT!”

At that moment a decently sized male deer jumped into the middle of their lane just a few hundred yards from their car. Jean slammed his breaks and threw his wheel hard to the left. Everything seemed to slow down. The absolute horror reflected from both of the boy’s eyes to the deer. The tires screeched, the car slid, there was an impact on the right, the sound of something shattering…

An eternity passed, all Jean could hear was white noise. His eyes were screwed shut with his knuckles white on the wheel. When his mind because to register again he still heard nothing. He whipped his head to the side, every muscle in his neck screaming in resistance.

Eren was there, still gripping the sides of his seat in a death grip. His airbag hadn’t deployed, Eren was still breathing, Eren was okay.

“Eren, Eren!” He heard a low whimpering noise from Eren before he was met with his still terrified gaze. His bright green eyes were watering, his jaw was trembling.

“Oh my god, Eren. Are you okay?” Jean undid his seat belt and leaned closer placing both his hands on Eren’s cheeks. “It’s okay you’re okay c’mere.” Jean carefully undid Eren’s seat belt and pulled him over to his chest. He soothed up and down his back while Eren buried his face in the crook of Jean’s neck, breathing him in. “We’re okay now, we’re okay.”

Eren’s breathing started to even out before his hands fisted into Jean’s shirt. They stayed like that for a long while before they heard a strangled noise and saw the deer dart across the road and disappear into the forest again.

“Whatthefuck.” Jean heard Eren say into his neck. He looked across Eren out the window. His rear view mirror was gone but the windows were still intact. That must have been the shattering noise they heard.

Jean pulled back to take one more good look at Eren before pressing their foreheads together and moving one of his hands to the back of his head and scratching lightly at his scalp knowing it would relax him. Eren was the first to break the silence.

“I’m going to pee on every tree in this fucking forest.” Jean nearly spit in his face before pushing him away. Eren reached for the door handle and started to get out when Jean grabbed his hand forcing him to look at him.

“You sure you’re okay?” He felt Eren squeeze his hand.

“Are you?”

“Not really, but I’m not the one who flips out when they drop a bowl of ice cream.” Eren let go and smacked his hand away, slamming the door shut.

“THAT WAS ONE TIME ASSHOLE!” Jean snickered and got out of the car before shouting back.

“You fucking cried dude!” He watched Eren stick his middle finger at him before he disappeared behind a tree.

He walked over to the other side of the car to inspect the damage. As he expected, his mirror was ripped clean off, shards of the glass were everywhere. One nasty scrape up the side of the door, fuckin’ deer had antlers. At least they didn’t kill it, or themselves.

He heard Eren’s footsteps come up behind him and felt arms wrapping around his waist. Eren buried his face between Jean’s shoulder blades and whispered, “look up.”

He did, and his mouth opened in awe. Tens of thousands of stars like he’d never seen before glittered the sky. Unconsciously his hands found Eren’s as he stared. Jean had grown up in cities and never once had he seen this many stars this bright. “It’s beautiful.”

“Just like you.” He heard Eren whisper again. He smiled, wide. Then broke out into a snorting laugh.

“WHAT!” Eren snapped before he felt Jean spinning him around and kissing him hard.

“You’re gross.” He breathed against Eren’s lips. But any protests he had died in his throat at the way Jean held him.

At least they’d have an interesting story to tell Marco when they finally got there.


	2. First Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren wasn't even planning on going to prom, let alone with Jean.

I didn't even want to go to my senior prom. There was nothing especially appealing about it except the free meal. All I was going to do was hang out with my friends, and on a normal occasion that wouldn't require a damn tie and shoes that made my feet hurt. But the thing was, Jean had asked me…

I tried so hard to hate him. He gave me endless reasons to. When he transferred here in sophomore year from France, he was literally everything I could ever hate about someone. He was good looking and he knew it. He took full advantage of his charming smile and knew for a damn fact the girls found his foreign accent ‘sexy’. It was sickening. What’s worse was that he wore eyeliner that made his eyes pop. When it started to get cold he wore scarves and tiny ass sweaters and he never got shit from any of the guys, probably because they were too embarrassed that most of them got caught staring at his ass in his stupid painted on skinny jeans.

On top of that he was smart, and he helped people when they asked. He always had tons of people around him. They followed him like he was their fucking king. I hated it. I hated people like him.

The first time he approached me I already knew I was in trouble. He had on that gross smile and was cradling his books to his chest. His footsteps made clicks on the hard floor of the classroom and there y’go, his shoes had heels.

“Hello Eren.” He kept smiling at me while I glared up at him. “I was talking to Marco and he said you live near to my house? I was wondering if you would want to walk home with me.”

I decided then I hated his accent too.

“Why.” It didn't come out as a question, and for a split second I felt kind of bad for the look of shock that fell over his face.

“W- well. We’re in a lot of classes together and… I never got a chance to talk with you. Although I wanted to…” The grip on his books tightened and he looked almost scared. This guy was friends with half the damn school why on earth would he want to talk to me?

I scoffed at him. “You have every one of our classmates as a friend. Why would you go out of your way to hunt me down?” I saw a twinge of annoyance. Good, he wasn't perfect.

“I just thought we-“

“Well tough luck frenchie, you picked the wrong guy to try and befriend.” I picked up my shit and walked directly out of the classroom without looking back. Grade A asshole, now he would hate me too and would have no reason to try and talk to me again.

I was wrong.

Well not entirely. He didn’t try to talk to me again, at least alone. But I could feel his eyes on me in classes, in the halls, even walking home on most days I knew he was only a few hunkered feet behind me.

He started greeting me whenever I was near enough, even though I never responded back. When I was with friends and he happened to be there he would include me like nothing had happened.

He acted completely normal around me and even that pissed me off.

And this went on for nearly two years.

I still kept my distance from him. I never went out of my way to talk to him, and even when I did it was only because it was socially required. But I did start to hate myself a little more. Over the past two years I would catch myself looking for him when he wasn't around or listening for his voice. When he would come up in conversations I would start to listen more intently. What pissed me off the most was whenever someone got to close to him I would feel a pang of jealousy in my chest.

I knew what it meant, I wasn't stupid. I was fucking crushing on the guy I was supposed to hate; and hard.

When I was alone in the classroom getting ready to leave one day, déjà vu hit me like a ton of bricks. I heard the click of his stupid shoes. When I turned around to face him he was pressing his dumb books to his chest and his idiotic green scarf was hanging loosely around his neck.

“Hello Eren.” God here it comes. “So, I was talking to Marco and he said that you didn't have a date to prom?”

Wait, what?

“I was wondering if you would want to go with me.” He stood there smiling at me just like he did every time he saw me.

“I’m not even going to prom.” I blurted out.

“Well you could go, with me.” I swear to god the look he was giving me was the snobbiest most pretentious smirk I have ever seen in my life.

“And why the hell would I want to go with you? Why would you even ask me? You have the entire school falling at your damn feet and here you are wasting your time on me, again?”

He chuckled low in his throat and stepped closer. He placed his books on my desk and his hands on his hips grinning down at me like an arrogant prick.

“I’m asking you, because I like you and I think it’s cute that you try so hard to hate me.”

I wanted to scream. I wanted to punch him square in the jaw. I wanted to lean up and kiss that damn smirk off his face.

But all I could do was mumble an “okay” without even looking him in the eye. I immediately regretted it, but it was already done.  
“Good, it’s a date. I was thinking matching ties! Something nice to go with your eyes.”

I hated him.

-

I felt like an idiot standing there with everyone, next to him, matching him. I felt like everyone who wasn’t friends with me was glaring at me. They probably were. Here Jean was looking like a fucking prince in his stupid tux and slicked back hair, and there was me… The guy who everyone thought hated Jean, was Jean’s date to prom.

The girl’s glares were the worst. Like I could feel them stabbing daggers into the back of my head with their eyes. I think Jean sensed my discomfort though because he shuffled closer and made a quick sweep with his eyes cocking an eyebrow at everyone giving me a dirty look.

The night continued, we ate, we drank water out of fancy glasses, and we laughed with everyone. He was an absolute gentleman… He never once put his hands on me and I could feel him glancing at me every few minutes I guess to see if I was okay. I was probably over thinking it though.

The last half hour of the night we were pretty much alone at our table. Everyone had left us to go dance aside from Armin who was completely content with ignoring everything around him in light of whatever pokemon game he was playing on his DS.

“Would you like to dance with me?” I stared down at my hands in my lap. I knew the question had been coming and it wasn't like I wanted to say no, just…

“I don’t… Feel comfortable with so many people around.” I heard him hum and lean a little closer.

“Then promise me I’ll get my dance sometime?” I peaked at him through the corner of my eye not bothering to raise my head. He had a soft, happy expression, excited? So I nodded.

-

We stood in the Kings Hotel lobby for almost an hour after prom had ended. Slowly our friends dispersed, getting picked up by whomever, and the girls started to complain about standing in their heels for their dates to take them home.

I felt a light tap on my shoulder and that was my signal to go. We said our goodbyes to everyone who was left, mainly Marco, Mina and Thomas, and headed off to the valet parking where Jean had left his car.

Yes he had driven me there. Picked me up at 6pm on the dot. Thank god mom was away on business and Mikasa had already left to get ready with her friend Annie. There were no embarrassing pictures or awkward conversations, I just grabbed my jacket and he led me to his car with nothing more from him than a “You look very nice Eren.”

Now, I was fucking nervous. I knew what was supposed to happen on prom nights. I’ve heard the stories. I’ll admit I was kind of excited that I’d probably get a kiss from the object of my bittersweet affections…

“So do you want me to just take me home?”

Or not.

“Because there is this nice lookout point I found where you can see the stars even here. It’s a little ways away from where you live though.”

Or yes?

“How far?” I could feel my cheeks getting hot, god I’m embarrassing…

“It’s about fifteen minutes from here, maybe fourty five minutes from your house.”

I blinked. “That’s supposed to be a long time?”

“Well i- it is isn't it?”

I shake my head. “Not really, no.” I see him give out an embarrassed huff as he started to drive.

“So is that a yes?”

“Yeah…”

We drive in silence all the way up to his place. It didn't feel awkward, I just kept my eyes on the scenery. I never really came out to this part of town and I really didn't know what was out here. Apparently mountains and small neighborhoods. We drove up a pretty steep slope which did have a lookout point. Surprisingly even after a high school prom nobody was there.

Jean killed his engine and turned on his stereo before he got out of the car. It was playing something quiet and in French, It was nice.

As soon as I followed him out of the car he was in front of me. “So about that dance…”

I stared at the hand he offered me. “Well you work fast don’t you?” I took it, and he pulled me close to his chest. I could feel my heart pounding in my ears. My movements were stiff but he gently led me in small circles close to the car. My head was spinning; my nose was being assaulted by his sent. How was this even happening? This was going too well, I felt like I was gonna do something wrong.

I almost didn't hear him when he spoke. The blood was rushing through my ears like white noise.

“I wanted to dance with you. Not just tonight. I've been wanting to get close to you for a long time. I just thought tonight would give me a good excuse.”

My heart nearly stopped. I felt his hands around my waist tighten slightly and suddenly I felt stupid standing there with my arms slung around his neck. I couldn't look at him, I wouldn't, my face was on fire.

“Can I kiss you?”

And then my brain stopped too.

A gnarled noise left my throat. How was this happening? Every single mean thing I’ve ever said to him, every nasty look I gave him. Had he just forgotten about all of it? I was never nice to him, not one time that I can remember.

“I… Why are you doing this? Don’t you hate me?” He stopped moving and looked down at me, confused. “I’ve given you so many reasons to not like me. I’ve never even once been nice to you!” My arms dropped from his neck but he didn’t pull away. “Why are you being so nice to me after how I've treated you for so long…”

There wasn’t much space between us so I felt kind of awkward frowning at the handkerchief in his breast pocket. His hands let go of my waist and soothed up my arms before the came to rest on either side of my face, gently prodding me to look at him.

“I told you, because I like you.” The look in his eyes was so sincere. I felt like I was going to melt.

“Eren…”

I’d never loved his accent more than I did right then when he said my name.

My hands found his sides and his lips found mine. There weren’t any fireworks, and it didn’t last an eternity, but it felt nice. We were both smiling when we pulled away. Well, I was smiling, Jean was fucking beaming… I liked it.

We spent another half hour or so leaning against the hood of his car, watching the stars and talking about nothing. He held me the whole time and I figured that he wasn’t so bad after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'ts been a long while since my prom and I don't really remember what proms were like? So sorry if it sounds awkward? And I'm still a day behind but I'll get there eventually.


	3. Winter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Winter is everyone's favorite.

Jean wasn't built for winter, but that didn't stop it from being his favorite season. 

He didn’t like having to wear three layers of clothes just to keep a little heat in.  He didn’t like how the wind made his face hurt even though there was a scarf wrapped up to his nose.  He didn’t like wearing gloves that made it hard to use his phone.  He didn’t like how there were always too many people out and about the streets at any given time of day.

But he did like sipping at his hot coffee when he was chilled to the bone.  He liked the smell of peppermint and cinnamon that could be found almost everywhere.  He liked the way the light decorations reflected off the snow at night. 

And then there were things about winter that Jean absolutely loved.  He loved coming home and seeing the inside of his house full of holiday cheer.  He loved sharing a mug of hot cocoa with Eren because Eren always made them too sweet for Jean to finish on his own.  He loved the way Eren looked curled up on the couch in one of Jean’s hoodies and a pair of thigh high socks.

Eren loved winter, all of it.  He looked radiant when he was out in the freezing air.  He always had a warmth to him even on freezing nights where Jean would find himself tangling his limbs with Eren’s trying to keep a little warmer.  Their little apartment had a constant influx of holiday sweets, all of which happened to be Eren's favorite.

Eren always seemed to be in a good mood when the days started to become more frigid.  His usually sharp tongue dulled around Jean considerably.  More often than not Jean would walk into the same room and be assaulted by kisses and cuddles that lasted until they’d both fall asleep curled up beneath the blanket on the couch.

Tonight was one of those nights.

“Hey love?”  Jean murmured.  Eren had been lying across Jean's chest while they marathoned episodes of Friends on Netflix.

“Hn?” came his reply while he searched for Jeans hand; unconsciously bringing it to his lips.

He let out an amused huff.  “Why are you so cuddly when it gets cold?”

Jean could see Eren's eyebrows rise beneath the fringe of his bangs.  “Because you need me.”

Jean chuckled.  “What?”

“Yeah man, you’d probably freeze to death or something if I wasn’t around for you to suck body heat from.”  Eren shifted so they were chest to chest and grinned up at him.

“You know I’d love to argue with you” he huffed, settling deeper into the cushions behind him.  “But you’re probably right.”

Eren hummed in response burying his nose into the crook of Jean’s neck.  They both drifted off to the quiet droning of the television, wrapped up in the warmth of each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short n' sweet. A little too sweet. Also had a flashback from erejeanmarco week about Eren's thigh high socks. Never forget.


	4. Magic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Que the Warrior that will drag the High Magus from his beloved tower!

Jean’s eyebrow twitched in irritation.  He set down the quill he was using to scribble his dizzying array of notes.  He could sense something was amiss in his tower.

He strode to the crystal orb upon his bookshelf and placed it none too gently on its stand he carelessly had flung to the floor at some point.

Then he saw it.  His _favorite_ knight Eren Yeager, storming through his tower, up the stairs and…

BOOM!

The door of his observatory was flung open with a loud thwack, causing the heavy tomes upon his shelves to rattle and various parchments to scatter to the floor.

“King Erwin Smith requests High Magus Jean Kirstein’s presence at his castle immediately!”  came Eren’s booming voice. 

Jean blew roughly out through his nose and walked back to his main table, retrieving his fallen notes.

“I said-“

“SILENCE!” Jean cut him off before the knight could finish. Every candle in the observatory glaring bright fire with the magus’ words.

“I’m neither deaf nor dim as you take me to be!”  Jean turns to him fully and marched directly over to the knight with his robes flaring with each step.  “You barge into _my_ tower without so much as a note of warning and expect me to up and leave my research just because they send some footman knight to retrieve me?” he was fuming.  “Why even King Smith knows better than that!”

They were standing nose to nose now.  Jean was looming over Eren with a menacing glare that he did not flinch away from.

He’d known Jean for years, they’d grown up together.  Eren had always had a soft spot for Jean, personally jumping at every opportunity to fetch him or make a delivery.  Eren looked up into the eyes of the magus, his face softening.

“Why do you play this game ever time I come around?  You know why they sent me…”

Jean seemed to deflate like a balloon, still trying to keep his gaze piercing but ending up turning it into a pout.  With a great sigh he turned from Eren and went back to sort through his notes.

“Why is the king requesting me anyway?”

Eren’s face darkened.  He moved to the sturdiest looking chair and sat as lightly as his mail armor would allow him.  “They've lost the moores to the beasts.”

“Well good on them.  That nasty swamp wasn’t a particularly nice place to begin with.”

“Jean…”

“Right, right.  Titans are a threat to humanity and what have you.”  The magus raised his hands and flicked his wrists twice, levitating impossibly heavy tomes from his work table and returning them to various shelves upon the chamber walls.

Eren silently watched him work.  Jean’s slim frame moved gracefully, sweeping himself from one end of the room to the other.  Every action causing the robes he wore to flutter and dance with his hands.

“Don’t you ever get lonely here?” Eren said suddenly.  “Alone in this damn tower?”

Jean didn’t so much as falter.  “And why would I?  I am home amongst my books and experiments.  Knowledge keeps good company you know.  You ought to try it sometime sir knight…”

Eren scoffed, standing from his seat and inspection a nearby bookshelf.  “Why not take on an apprentice?  I’m sure you’d have all the young magi charmed out of their minds.” he hummed, poking at one of the texts.

“Sarcasm isn’t welcome here unless it comes from me, sir knight.”  Jean said tirdly, finally turning around to face Eren again.

“You think I’m joking?” Eren mused.  “You may be a bitter hermit, but you’re attractive and good at what you do.”  Eren’s half cocky smirk faltered.  What was he saying?  He didn’t mean for his words to fall from his mouth like that.

Jean merely blinked at him, clearly not convinced.

“I- I mean you’re obviously-“

“Enough, Eren.”  Jean began to usher him out of the room the door falling shut behind them.  The clang of Eren’s boots echoed off the stone floors to the staircase. 

“I…  I’ve brought you a horse.”

Jean rolled his eyes as they descended the winding stairs of the tower.  “Well, if we’re going to be stuck together on a two day journey, I sure hope you can come up with a better conversation starter than that, Invincible.”

Eren grinned at the old nickname not having heard it since before Eren joined the kings military when the two of them were children.

“As you wish.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I reaaaaaly like this AU and I might go on to do something with it later! Also, I'm posting this one before the gender prompt because I'm still working on it? I've never done a prompt like that before so don't mind me while I just dive out of my comfort zone.


	5. Gender

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All it takes is a little rough encouragement from one of your closest friends to realize there's nothing wrong with you.

Never once had I pegged Eren to be uncomfortable with herself.  So when she asked me to start referring to her as a boy when we were 13, I hardly thought anything of it.  In fact, I just thought it was _because_ he was so comfortable with himself that he wanted to do that.

Eren, his sister Mikasa and I have lived a few houses down from each other since we were three years old.  We got along like any other kids that are forced to grow up with each other would.  Most of the time we did, but I couldn’t even count on both hands how many times we’ve gotten into fights over the years.

Eren was always high-strung.  More so than your typical tomboy, which is probably why I didn’t think it was weird when he started identifying himself as a guy.

That first year was the worst for him.  Kids are nasty fucks, especially in middle school.  When he cut his hair short and started wearing over shirts and baggy pants was when basically the whole school went after him.  I didn’t really understand why.  He didn’t even act any different from how he did before.  To me it felt like Eren was the same just…  Different style.

Two months before we ‘graduated’ from that god awful place, Eren nearly got the shit beat out of him.  I’m glad I was there.  He hadn’t been talking to anyone much at the time, even his sister who seemed to come to me a lot out of worry, hoping he’d been talking to me; which he wasn’t.  There were four of them.  Three big guys that now that I think about it, definitely didn’t look like middle schooolers, and some shitface named Auro whose ugly mug I only remember from the time when Eren smashed it in with a dodge ball.

Eren was in his usual spot in the shade of the band room waiting for the school bus.  I was actually going over to ask if he wanted to walk home because I literally hadn’t talked to him in about two weeks.  That’s when I saw the four guys closing in on him.  He had hardly looked up from the book he had in his hands before one of the taller ones with blonde hair was pulling him to his feet.

I don’t remember the exact words they started shouting at him, mainly insults about how he should be dressing properly and that him trying to act like a guy was disgusting.  I probably don’t remember because the second that bastard shoved Eren up against the wall of the building; I punched him clean in the face as hard as I could.  I remember a crack, a scream, someone grabbing my wrist and yanking me backwards.  I remember the other two coming after me, only one had made it anywhere near me with his hands fisted in my shirt screaming.  I remember Mikasa launching herself at the other one and kneeing him hard in the crotch.  I remember Auro running scared off of the school grounds.  Then I remember Eren, yanking the last guy off me with one arm and head butting him right in the nose.

I ended up at Eren’s that night.  All of us with a three day suspension and awaiting detention.  Principle Levi wouldn’t tell us what happened to the other guys, only that it was a lot worse, and even though it wasn’t our fault for what happened, he was under obligation to uphold the school rules of no tolerance for fights on campus.  He told us if we had shit to settle that we do it off of school property and I held some respect for him for saying that instead of telling us what we were doing was for the wrong fucking reasons.    

Mikasa and Eren’s mother went to bed early that night leaving Eren and I alone on the living room floor in a nest of blankets and the television quietly playing Back to the Future.

We talked a lot that night.  I learned that he hadn’t been talking to anyone because he’d been letting the words everyone was saying to him get him down.  He told me straight up that he knew it was stupid of him for thinking that way but he couldn’t help it.  He was starting to think that maybe what he thought was just some stupid idea and that he should just start acting like a girl again.  That was the first time I’d ever seen Eren looking vulnerable. 

I didn’t know what to tell him.  I knew kids were saying some mean shit to him everywhere he went and I knew there wasn’t anything anyone could do about it.  So I told him the truth.  I told him I probably sounded like a ass but I couldn’t believe he was even thinking shit like that.  I didn’t know how on earth Eren, _my_ stuck up, stubborn, asshole Eren was letting people get to him.  He never let people get to him.  Not when we were eight and people laughed at me for knowing how to make rings out of the flowers in the school yard.  Not when we were ten and Eren thought it’d be a great idea for our entire group of friends to go to the mall all wearing dresses just because Mikasa didn’t want to.  I reminded him that he always took people judging him with a grain of salt and it would be stupid for him to start caring about what people said now.  Now that he was happy with who he was, now that he could finally be himself.

He looked like he was about to cry but he never did.  He wiggled a little closer to me and laid his head against my arm.

I don’t really remember the details of what happened anymore.  Like what we were wearing or what led up to it.  But that night was the first time I kissed him.  I do remember expecting him to punch me, I also remember the shock of when he wrapped his arms around my neck and kissed me back.  We were still on the floor when Eren’s mother found us in the morning wrapped around each other half buried beneath all the blankets.

That was ten years ago.

I live in that house now.

I come home from my magazine editorial job expecting to pass out on the couch.  Eren and Mikasa had something to go to that night and I thought I’d be spending the evening eating ice cream out of the box and watching old sitcoms in the dark.

When I come home though, the scent of curry hits me before I even walk through the door.  If there is one thing that will make my mouth water in anticipation and my nose run before I even take a bite, it’s the Yeager family curry.

I peak around the corner so I can see into the kitchen and I break into a pout.  There’s Eren, making my skinny jeans look better than I ever could, and my green sweater that hugs him in all the right places.  I’ll never not be bitter that my boyfriend wears my clothes better than I do.

“I know you’re there babe, you can at least say hello.” I hear him call.

I stay in my position behind the wall still pouting.  “Don’t you have a thing to go to?  Or your own clothes for that matter?”

I hear him snort and his footsteps closing in on me.  He grabs my wrist and yanks me into his arms.

“I knew you’d forget.”  He murmured beginning to mouth kisses up my neck.

I forgot a lot of things.  Mainly dates, birthdays, anniversaries…   Oh.

He felt me stiffen and he laughed.  He leaned up on his toes and gave me a quick peck on the lips before he sauntered back into the kitchen. 

“Ten year’s ago, today” He said picking up a teaspoon and tasting the curry.  “Your dumb ass almost got kicked by a bunch of scrawny middle schoolers.”  He looked at me using his spoon to point out matter of factly.

“Hah?” I cocked an eyebrow at him.  “I don’t think we’re remembering the same event tough guy.  I remember punching someone out.”

“Really?  Because I remember having to drag someone off of you and punching that person out.”

“With your head!”

“Don’t even start with me Jean because I swear to-!  Hey where are you going!  Don’t walk away when I’m fucking talking to you prick!”

I snickered all the way up the stairs.  I half expected him to follow me but I’m glad he didn’t.  I pulled open the hall closet and grabbed all the spare blankets and pillows we had.  Then I went into our room and grabbed everything off the bed too.  I picked up the armfuls of blankets and threw them right over the landing where they landed in front of our kitchen.

“What the fuck are you doing!”

I kept laughing down the stairs picking up as many blankets as I could and kicking what I couldn’t carry into the living room.

Eren followed me then, glaring at me until he saw what I was doing.  Setting up a stupid blanket nest on the floor.  I looked over my shoulder at him with a grin, and I saw the most gorgeous smile on his face.  He looked like he was going to cry, I could see moisture forming in the corners of his eyes.

I walked over and dragged him down with me.  He tangled his legs with mine and laughed lightly into my chest.

“You’re an idiot, who forgets everything, but remembers everything…  And you’re gonna make me burn your curry.”

My arms wrapped around his waist and we both laid there holding each other for a few moments.  I felt him shift and tuck his chin onto my shoulder.

“I love you.” I heard him whisper right before he was reaching over me and smacking me in the face with a pillow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AND DATS ROMANCE! So I'm kind of scared about how this one turned out to be honest. I hope it's alright, any feed back would be cool.


	6. Ocean: Hawaiian Sun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Waikiki sunset makes everything look nice. Even a crock wearing Jean and a dangerously local Eren.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: There's some major language shit in here. I think I made Eren a little too hawaiian buuuuuuut.

The sunset painted a beautiful picture over Waikiki beach.  It was overcast that day and the Kona winds had brought vog in from the Big Island.  Even though it made his eyes burn and he couldn’t breathe half the day, Eren did love the way the ash painted the sky such a bright red and orange.

His bare feet dug into the sun warmed sand as he strummed lightly at his ukulele, humming rather than singing.

It wasn’t terribly crowded that day.  Two canoes could be seen out on the break with a few surfers.  A few families were scattered around him whose children were playing at the shoreline.  Tourists still littered the busy streets behind him.  Every ten feet you’d find a lady wearing a big sun hat speaking Japanese or a couple of tall Australians with surfboards in hand.  Eren liked being in this part of town.  It was a far cry from his rinky dink apartment in Kalihi where the only sights to behold were pot holes and crazy homeless people.

As it started to get darker he pushed his Oakley sunglasses up onto his forehead.  He felt a shuffle of sand to his right and a haole boy wearing a Hurley tee and some gross looking crocks plopped down next to him.

“Nice view you got here.”

The guy was kinda cute, he guessed he could be nice.

“Vogs been pretty shitty but at least it makes the sunset look nice.” 

“Vog?”

Eren hummed, still letting his fingers dance along the neck of his instrument.  “S’the the volcanic ash blowing down from Big Island brah.  Makes half da state sick.”

“Woah, for real?”

“Fo’ realz.”

They sat in silence for another minute or two listening to the quiet melody coming from the ukulele before Eren heard his voice again.

“I’m Jean.”  He saw a hand being offered in the corner of his eye.  “I’m guessing you’re from around here?”

Eren dropped his fingers from the strings and turned to face Jean while shaking his hand.

“Yeah guess you could say that.”  Eren took the chance to get a good look at the guy.  He had a pretty weird haircut that was bleached at the top making it less weird, since almost every guy who lived here bleached their hair at some point.  He also had a pretty attractive face, a cute smile, and a single eyebrow piercing over his right eye.  “Cute…”

“Hah?”

Eren smirked and turned back toward the ocean and going back to pluck at his strings.  Who needs to be subtle when you’re never gonna see that person again?  They guy would probably be on a plane in a few days heading back to who cares where.

“I said you cute.”  Eren half expected him to stand up and leave, or possibly punch him.  But instead he heard the guy snort and lean back into the sand.

“Thanks, you’re pretty cute yourself local boy.  Say, what kind of accent is that?”

Eren looked down at him.  He had his fingers laced behind his head and one leg crossed over the other, eyes closed and smiling.  Score?

“It’s Pidgin English.”

“Like the bird?”

“Yeah.  Back in the day, dey brought down a bunch of people from all ovah da place to work da plantations.  Filipinos, Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese, lotta Asia but you name ‘em an dey was probably here too.  An you all gotta communicate somehow, so get all these people togethah talkin’ broken English an pidgin was born.”

“That’s... Really amazing actually.”

Eren grinned at him.  “You tink so?”

Jean gave back a toothy grin.  “Yeah, I do.  So what does that make you?  Like, ethnicity wise.  If you don’t mind me asking.”

“Heh, I’m what dey call a poi dog.  I mixed race that’s why.  Hawaiian, Pilipino, German, Spanish.”

“Wow, those are four completely different places.”

“Hah, I know yeah?”

“Well I’m from California, San Diego.  I’m French and German and have no other languages to speak of except some broken Spanish.

“Moah den me.  I only speak one othah language fluently.”

“Oh yeah, what’s that?”

“Regular English.”

Jean laughed and pulled himself back up into the sitting position.  “Okay then hot shot let me hear your regular English accent.”

“There is no accent, it’s just English.”

Jean leaned his chin into his palm and smiled up at him.

“So then you just prefer the Pidgin thing?  And since you said  your ‘other language’ was English, does that mean Pidgin is a language on its own?”

“Actually, yeah it is.  And I grew up with it.  It’s not much different from something like a southern accent except it uses a lot of words from other languages.  But hardly anyone takes you seriously for jobs when you come in talking like a Hawaiian country bumpkin.”

Jean snickered and nodded.  Then he gestured to the ukulele in Eren’s hands.  “You’re really good at playing that thing by the way.  I haven’t seen you look down at it once.”

“S’just a hobby.”

Jean stood up and brushed off the loose sand from his khaki shorts and offered his hand to Eren.  “Well then, music playing, Pidgin speaking, whatever you said dog, Eren.  Can I buy you a coconut drink, or a Mai Tai, or whatever it is you guys drink out here?”

Eren beamed up at him.  Definitely score.  He let Jean pull him to his feet and slipped into his Scotts that had been abandoned in the sand beside him.  Eren tugged Jean up toward the street behind them not letting go of his hand.

“I like spam musubis.”

Jean fell in step beside him not seeming to mind their entwined hands.  “You like what now?”

“Spam musubi.  They’re like spam sushi.”

“Well I’m vaguely aware that spam is canned meat, but I’m from Cali so I’m down for sushi.”

“Good cuz there’s one 7-11 up da street.”

Jean shook his head.  “Man this place is fuckin’ weird.”

He felt Eren squeeze his hand.  When he looked down at him he had the prettiest smile he’d ever seen, his tan skin soaking up the last rays of the setting sun and the torch lights that lined the sidewalk caught the brilliant green in his eyes just right.  “Nah brah, dis place is home.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I now realize that Pidgin is kind of awkward to write and even worse to read so sorry for that. But idk i think trashy moke Eren is one of my fave headcanons I could not even tell you why.


	7. Birthday: Young Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When they were kids, they didn't know that birthday kisses and tight hugs would become a birthday tradition.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AND HAPPY EREJEAN WEEK. That was a fun time! Thanks everyone!

The first time Jean had gotten Eren something for his birthday was when they were eight.

They were on a break from school at the time.  There wasn’t much money to go around so the surprisingly mature third grader insisted he didn’t have a party.  All he wanted was the day off from chores and for his mother to make him kasespatzle for dinner.  All of his friends agreed they’d bring gifts when they returned to school even though Eren repeatedly said there was no need.  Except for Jean, who begged Eren to come to the park near his house on the day of his birthday to give him a gift insisting it was extremely important.

Jean’s family had money, but his parents were hardly ever around.  His father stepped foot in his house probably a good three times a year, and although his mother loved Jean dearly, she worked two towns over and only returned home as often as she could which was a few scattered days every month.

During this time, Jean spent a lot of time with his live in maid Petra.  She taught him to cook and bake and Jean got really good at it.

On the day of Eren’s birthday, Jean found himself arriving at the park a little early.  He held a little handkerchief wrapped package close to his chest while he scanned the nearly empty park for Eren’s figure.  

“JEAN!” 

He spun around to see Eren running up behind him waving frantically.  He stopped short about a foot away breathing heavily and resting his hands on his knees.

“Did you run all the way here?”

Eren looked up and scratched at his cheek.  “Well I wasn’t planning on it.  But then I remembered you always show up early to things and figured you’d have been waiting for me if I came on time.  Guess I was right.”

Jean grimaced.  “Sorry, I didn’t mean to make you run here.” but Eren waved him off going to poke at the box in Jean’s arms.

“So what’s that?” He questioned with a big grin on his face.

Jean practically shoved it into Eren’s arms.  “S’your birthday present.”

Eren kept smiling as he lifted it to his ear and lightly shook it.  “Can I open it?”

“Well duh it’s yours.”

Eren brushed past him nodding for him to follow.  The both sat down in the shade of one of the trees while Eren pulled at the handkerchief.  He pulled open the box to reveal six bright green sweets.

His eyes were sparkling.  “Whoa!  Wow what are these?”

Jean felt a small blush creep up his face.  “They’re macaroons.”

He watched Eren grab one and bite it in half.  Eren’s eyes got wide and held the half bitten cookie closer to his face.

“This is amazing!  It’s sweet but it’s not like, really sweet.” He popped the other half in his mouth grabbing a second one from the box.  “Where did you find these?”

Jean looked away, suddenly feeling a rush of embarrassment.  “I uh, I made them.”

“You MADE THESE?”  Eren stared at him in disbelief with his mouth still half full.

“Close your mouth when you’re eating.” He mumbled, still looking anywhere but his face.

He swallowed and lightly shoved Jean in the shoulder.  “That’s amazing.  Mom only lets me make cereal.”

They sat there in silence while Eren continued eating.  He closed up the box with two left and turned to Jean again.

“Hey Jean?  I really loved these macaroons.  But how come you said it was so important I get them today?”

He thought about it for a second, rubbing the back of his neck.  Why had he wanted to give them to him so badly today?

“Um, I guess because I don’t really get to celebrate my birthday every year because my parents are hardly there so…  I just thought it was really important that you got to celebrate today…”

Eren blinked and crawled over to him looking him dead in the face.  “Jean, when’s your birthday?”

“Um, next week actually.”

“What?!  Why didn’t you say something!”

Jean huffed and pushed him back.  “It’s not even here yet why would I say anything?”

“Because it’s so soon!  I’ve been excited for my birthday for a month!”

Jean sighed.  “I just told you I don’t celebrate my birthday often.  It’s just another day, there’s nothing to even get excited about.”

Eren’s expression fell.  Jean said that but it was clear in the way he held himself that he was sad about it.  Suddenly Eren was upset.  How could Jean’s parents let that happen?  How could they let their son go on being unhappy on his own birthday?

“I’ll get you something…”

Jean sighed but smiled at him.  “You don’t have to.  I don’t need anything.”

“But I want to!”

Jean rolled his eyes and picked up the box of macaroons and rewrapping it.  He handed it back to Eren with a flick on the nose.

“Take these and go home.  I’ll see you at school okay?” Eren pouted down at the box as they both stood up.  Before Eren could say anything Jean pulled him into a tight hug.  “And happy birthday.”

Jean was already pulling away and walking in the direction of his house when Eren could move again.  “TH- THANK YOU JEAN!”  He shouted after him, still rooted to the spot.

Jean waved over his shoulder and disappeared around the corner.

-

Eren had thought of everything.  But he couldn’t think of a single thing he could give to Jean.  He couldn’t buy anything because he had no money.  He couldn’t cook like Jean could and he didn’t want to ask his mother.  He wanted to give Jean something that was just from him…  But He wasn’t good at anything!

Eren groaned in frustration.  Jean’s birthday was tomorrow and he couldn’t believe he still hadn’t thought of anything.  He wasn’t too good at drawing, or writing, there was literally nothing Eren could think of giving him, but maybe…

That was it! 

The next day he met Jean in the same park.  It was a weekend and more kids were there this time, none of whom paid Eren and Jean any mind.

“You could have waited for school y‘know.” Jean remarked, leaning against the same tree they sat under the week before.

“Shut up Mr. It’s important you get to celebrate your birthday _on_ your birthday.”

Jean scoffed and kicked at Eren’s ankle.  “Fine then, where’s the gift I told you not to get me?”

Eren looked so determined; Jean thought it was kind of weird.

“Okay, you have to close your eyes.”

Jean did.  He had absolutely no clue what he was expecting, but he definitely wasn’t expecting the feeling of Eren’s nose bumping into his sealing their lips together.

His body froze.  His eyes shot open just in time to see Eren pulling back with his eyes still closed.  They opened slowly; they were bigger and prettier than he ever remembered.

“W- what?”

Eren looked down at his feet.  “Sorry it’s not really special or anything.  But, happy birthday Jean…”

Jean’s face was in fire.  First of all, what did he mean that wasn’t special?  Secondly…

“B- but.  We’re both boys!” Jean spat out.  He honestly didn’t mean it in a bad way, he was just shocked.

Eren grinned at him.  “Yeah, so?”

Jean couldn’t think of an argument.  Instead he stepped forward and pulled Eren into anther hug resting his chin on Eren’s shoulder.  “Thank you Eren.  That was the best birthday gift ever.”

Eren smiled and wrapped his arms tight around Jean’s middle squeezing him until he couldn’t breathe.

They spent the rest of the day there, not knowing that kisses and tight hugs were going to become a long standing birthday tradition.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love the "B- BUT WE'RE BOTH MEN" trope so much *flies into the sun*

**Author's Note:**

> So I know I'm a little late but I really wanted to participate~ So I'll try to have the next two prompts up tomorrow. There's actually eight prompts for this week so ye. pretty pumped!
> 
> Also my chapter for the cooking prompt is [here](http://archiveofourown.org/works/3685929) That one turned out kind of smutty...


End file.
